Copies of an anonymous letter declaring April 3 "Punish a Muslim Day" have generated waves of anxiety in Muslim communities throughout the United Kingdom.
Arriving on doorstops and in mailboxes of numerous Muslim homes, the letters rant against lax European immigration policies and warn of the dangers posed by Muslim immigrants:
"They have hurt you, they have made your loved ones suffer. They have caused you pain and heartache. What are you going to do about it? Are you a 'sheep' like the vast majority of the population? Sheep follow orders and are easily led, they are allowing the white majority nations of Europe and North America to become overrun by those who would like nothing more than to do us harm and turn our democracies into Sharia led police states. Only you can help turn this thing around, only you have the power. Do not be a sheep!"
Even more shocking, the letters also include a table awarding point values for specific acts of violence against Muslims: 25 points for pulling off a woman's head scarf, 500 for killing a Muslim person, and 1,000 for bombing a mosque:
"Punish A Muslim Day" letters are being sent to families in East London. The letter details a point system for each action & a reward. For example pulling a Muslim women's hijab is 25 points, throwing acid is 50 points and burning or bombing a mosque is a whole 1,000 points. pic.twitter.com/6kmCrDrXt0
Rowaida Abdelaziz (@Rowaida_Abdel) March 9, 2018
Standing Up to Hostility
The letters have stoked fear amongst Muslims in the U.K., many of whom say they're worried about the safety of their families. The London Metropolitan Police have warned all citizens to be vigilant while counterterrorism officials investigate.
However, not everyone is worried about the threats.
Riaz Ahmed, a politician from Bradford, West Yorkshire County, received one of these unmarked letters in a plain white envelope at his business address.
"My guess is that the letter was meant to terrorize and cause discord within the various communities," he explained. "But we tend to rise above that in Bradford; we are very, very proud. I came to this country when I was 12 years old from Pakistan. I've seen far worse."
Bradford was one of six communities in England on the receiving end of what appears to be the coordinated effort of white supremacists looking to exploit a rising wave of anti-Muslim sentiment. Individuals in Birmingham, Cardiff, Leicester,Londonand Sheffield all reported receiving identical copies.
'Love A Muslim' Response
Shahab Adris, a Muslim man living in the U.K., was disheartened by the show of hate and decided to craft a creative response. He penned his own letter declaring April 3 "Love a Muslim Day," even including point values for uplifting acts like "smile at a Muslim" and "invite a Muslim into your home."
On the 3rd April, don't listen to the bigots and their "Punish a Muslim" day, instead let's show that our communities won't be divided, that hope is better than fear and we have more in common. #LoveAMuslimDay https://t.co/YhPXBMb403
Thelma Walker MP (@Thelma_WalkerMP) March 12, 2018
"As a Muslim, we're always wanting to bring people together and love everyone regardless of their background - it could be love a Jew day, love a Christian day, love an atheist day, love a human day," Adris said.
Hate Crimes on The Rise
According to recent crime statistics, not everyone views Islam in such a positive light. Though Muslims make up just 4.4 percent of the population in the U.K., they are victims of a disproportionate amount of hate crime. In fact, the number of hate crimes directed toward Muslims rose 29 percent in past year alone.
Perhaps partly due to an uptick in Islamic terrorist attacks, the situation in the U.K. has become increasingly fraught. Far right anti-immigrant groups have seized the opportunity to spread fears of an impending Muslim takeover.
Similar issues are popping up in the U.S., too. According to the FBI, hate crimes against Muslims soared in 2016, surpassing the previous record set in 2001.
Even world leaders have been unable to avoid controversy surrounding the issue. In a now-infamous incident late last year, President Trump re-circulated a video that purportedly showed a Muslim teen assaulting another individual. Ironically, however, it turned out to be fake news.
17 comments
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Dr asha sharma
We are not thinking clearly religion is not the problem it is some people who do bad things in the name of religion People we need to remember there is only One almighty God the path is followed in many ways. Just as the air we breath is one. The sun that shines on us is one the moon is one with the preaching of some so call regilous leaders that want to divide us only makes us to destroy ourselves we do not need the devil to do this wake up people follow the One Almighty God .
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Sally T
No! I think we will stick with "Kick a Ginger Day" as they seem to get caught much more unawares. Makes for better entertainment. /s
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Frank Villari
Okay, I'm not for kicking a ginger, either... but the thought did make me chuckle.
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Oh Mo
I'm a ginger. Well, I used to be until it turned white. And I'll be waiting for you on KaGD. LOL!!
https://www.amazon.com/Date-Devil-M-Phillip/dp/1549780050/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
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John
Are you British? Ginger is Cockney rhyming slang for a Gay Person. (ie Ginger = Ginger Beer= Queer = gay)
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John Owens
I suspect, but do not know, of course, another false flag. I think this was put out by Muslims or Muslim apologists to garner sympathy and support, and make it more difficult for non-Muslims to retaliate when Muslims commit another widely-publicized crime. Maybe the sympathetic globalists in the British government know something else is either about to happen or about to become public knowledge.
I may well be mistaken, but it seems far too obvious to be serious. If someone wanted to hurt them, why tell them when you plan to do it?
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biblical scholar
You've been watching too much InfoWars, John. Don't you know Alex Jones rots the brain?
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John Owens
Ramona, stop trying to dismiss honesty with your prejudice. I suppose you know more about Alex Jones than I. I don't watch infowars. I watch Netflix, currently going through Doc Martin. This kind of thing has occurred a few times in the last few years, and been proven to be false flag. EXACTLY what I have said. One imam had his own office bombed, to draw sympathy and try to head off retaliation for their next atrocity. This is not limited to muslims, either. If you don't think this happens, YOU are the one with brain rot.
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John Owens
On the other hand, immigrants should behave well in their host country, and be afraid NOT to do so.
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biblical scholar
I just find it rather suspicious, John, that your immediate response to something terrible happening to minorities is to baselessly shout false flag. You have a pattern of this behavior. Almost as if you completely and utterly lack empathy for those different than you!
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The Doctor
Ramona that is because Owens is frequently admitting to buy into unfounded conspiracy like the Birther conspiracy about Obama based entirely on his racist xenophobic idea that change is always bad.
He attempts to use a thin veil of suggested violence like we should not think NRA and 2nd cultists are not prone to violence because otherwise they would surely kill all who oppose them while dismissing the same logic when applied to radical muslims. The difference being that NRA members and 2nd cultists are a clear minority and even if all where radical and violent would be far too outnumbered by the military to pull of a civil war. While if all muslims where bad it would be enough to take over the world.
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John Owens
T'keren, you AND Ramona are trolls, and probably have demons. I know you are full of dark fantasies and that YOU T'Keren are not above lying like Hell when you want to make paranoid point. You are very weak, though, which probably accounts for your hatred and bigotry. Dr. Ramona (maybe she's a veterinarian or something) thinks she knows more than diddly squat about things. Very stupid. She has to bring up stuff she knows nothing about in order to try to silence me. Trolls is all you are. All you will ever be.
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John Owens
Oh yea, again you made it up-- I'm racist and xenophobic. You IMAGINE that. I am neither. You say that because you think if you say that you win some argument medal or something. You are stupid.
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Plurality rules. love and respect is cool. hatred and prejudice brings doom.
Reading Herman and Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent; Edward Said's Orientalism and Culture and Imperialism. After that read Machiavelli's Prince, and research the Borgias. After that read about the crusades, reconquista and the inquisition. You will get all of your answers. You do not need to be brown to be a Muslim. A Muslim might be set next to you on the bus, and you won't know it. Likewise, a person might call themselves Muslim, and they might be a person that merely endeavours to cause mischief. It is all politics. Don't get tricked. If you get some time, also read Orwell's 1984, and try to understand Arendt's concept of totalitarianism, Bourdieu's notion of symbolic power, and Foucault's concept of the panoptic and biopower. God bless and have an amazing life.
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Right Reverend Desmond Morris
When you analyse the way the letter is written it becomes obvious it was not written by an English man or woman. The way it is phrased is not a ways used by English folk, it sounds more like the writing of an eastern European. Either way I dont think I will be punishing anyone on the 3rd of April, do unto others as you would have done unto yourself. very good advice if you ask me.
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Daniel
Since Islam is the third religion of Abraham they celebrate April fools day on the 3rd! Why is that? Besides being the third religion of Islam, it is because Islam claims that all Christians are fools to believe that Jesus died and was resurrected on the 3rd day and Jews, the first religion of Abraham celebrate April fools day on the first because the joke is on all other religions to think that the God of Abraham would recognize them as his chosen ones. Thus leaving Christianity the second religion of Abraham stuck in the middle protecting the first and second from the third with the second being the twit in the middle being the butt of the Jokes, strife and battles that have nothing to do with those whom do not give two cents about the Trinity of salvation or the Trinity of the three religions that claim to worship the God of Abraham and that their religion is the only thru religion that the God of Abraham has ordained as the gateway to their GOD. See the joke is on all the religions of the God of Abraham, so let them all kill themselves and let them kill all those that appose them and their Religion. And let those that appose those religions defend themselves and kill those that try to force their Gods will upon you by force. How did Judaism spread? By converts, given the choice to convert or Die. The same as Christianity and the same with ISLAM! So I guess the Joke is all of us to think that an all mighty God needs man to force his will upon them to worship their GOD. Just plain silly.
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East London is a home of Muslims. Not all Muslims are of the same belief in their Prophet, examples are the Middle East. The UK is filled with people from different parts of the Middle East, as they are those from Asia and those who have lived in England for the last thousand years who may dislike Englishmen from all parts of the country. That is the way people are.